Joe was sleeping in his car and had been homeless for several years.  His drug use had a negative impact on his family and he had run out of places he could stay. He was referred to Indigo Junction’s NPAH program. By meeting with his NPAH Housing Support Worker on a regular basis, Joe was supported to get in to crisis accommodation in Maylands. With a goal plan in place, Joe addressed his debts, regularly attended counselling sessions and explored his housing options. When the three month limit on crisis accommodation was reached, Joe was supported by his worker to access temporary accommodation in the Midland area which he maintained until an offer of a Housing Authority property was made.

Joe was supported at the signing of his lease agreement, his worker helped him move his belongings and set up his accounts with utility providers and then Centrepay deductions so he didn’t have to worry about bills as they came in. Joe also contacted St Vincent de Paul for assistance with furniture for his new property. Since settling in to his home, Joe has stopped using drugs and has reconnected with his family . Joe recently got a dog, Brick, for company and is enjoying the quiet life, with frequent visits from him family and neighbours. 

Paul had not had a stable home for many years. During his childhood, Paul had lived in over 40 family, foster care and hostel placements. He was using drugs and had been in trouble with the law. By 18, Paul was homeless and had nowhere else to go. With his challenging behaviours and with no supportive people in his life, it seemed that Paul was headed for a life on the street or worse.

Luckily, Paul found his way to Indi House. Here he found the safety and support he needed to get his behaviour under control. At Indi House, he built trusting and honest relationships with workers. Through these relationships, his challenging behaviours could be addressed. While in the house, Paul also joined in one-on-one training in cooking, dishes, cleaning and other daily living skills.

After a period of time living at Indi House, Paul was offered a community based single unit. Paul received support and guidance around setting up his new home. He put a budget in place and gathered the furniture and bits and pieces that make up a home. He now has a long term stable home and is connected to required supports.

Paul no longer has to be homeless or in prison - unsafe, vulnerable and isolated. A safe place to belong along with calm, genuine care and guidance and intensive support has resulted in a transformation – Paul has come so far. He is starting to experience a “pay off” - a reward for his improved patience, more controlled behaviour and planning ahead. The reward is a long sought after sense of belonging, connection and safety.

Julia came to our service needing emergency accommodation. She was pregnant and her partner was violent. She needed to leave home for her own and her baby’s safety.

Julia found the support she needed at Indigo Junction’s Family Service.

Julia formed positive relationships with the family workers. She talked about her traumatic experiences of violence and addiction and how they were impacting on her own parenting skills and drug use.  Julia had two other children who lived with other family members.  Her goal was to reunite with her children. Supported by our family service team she joined in parenting education sessions and was linked to the counselling she needed.

By building trust with our workers Julia was able to build trusting relationships with others.  She enjoyed time spent socialising with other mums and joined in cooking classes, playgroups and other activities.  Her confidence and self-esteem grew and her parenting skills improved, allowing her to bond closely with her new baby and her two older children.

A year on, Julia has moved to long term housing with her three children.  Her home provides the stability and safety she needs to take control of her life.  With a home, Julia can create a healing safe space.  She can become the independent and capable role model she wants to be for her children.

Thomas & Evie arrived at Karnany in desperate need of financial support. They had heard through friends about our Emergency Relief (ER) service. The couple had recently experienced car problems and had to pay large amounts of money for urgent repairs.

As the couple were on basic Centrelink payments, this unexpected expense resulted in financial crisis. The couple had no money for food to get through until their next payday. In addition to financial problems, the family was also experiencing high stress levels as a family member had recently been diagnosed with cancer.

On top of this the couple were supporting their two young adult children who were not receiving proper payment from their employer and were not receiving the appropriate Centrelink payments.

The couple reported feeling embarrassed at having to access Emergency Relief. Our Emergency Relief staff member worked in a friendly, welcoming and professional manner to alleviate feelings of embarrassment. After briefly assessing the couple’s financial situation, a food voucher was supplied.

As part of the appointment, our team member described our Financial Education Program. The couple were keen to participate in the program and enrolled. During the program Thomas & Evie developed a comprehensive budget and worked on a spending diary.

Through attending the weekly sessions Thomas & Evie were also provided access to the Dental Rescue Program and other required medical services. The couple were also encouraged to connect with Centrelink to provide support to their children and access payments they were entitled to.

Thomas & Evie dropped back to Karnany a few months later and they happily reported that they were still on track with their budgets and that planning the family shop each week was resulting in great savings!! They strongly encourage other people in similar situation to register for the program.

Mary was referred to Indigo Junction’s Housing Support Program from a nearby Drug & Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre. She was attending rehabilitation for treatment for amphetamine use. Mary has a young son who was being cared for by his paternal grandmother while Mary was undergoing treatment. Mary is from a Spanish background and found reading and writing English a challenge.

To begin with, our Housing Support Worker visited Mary while she was in rehabilitation. This helped build rapport and gave time for planning and goal setting. The worker supported Mary to access funds so she had emergency accommodation arranged when she finished her treatment.

A short time later Mary was allocated a 2 bedroom home through the Housing Authority. The Housing Support Worker advocated strongly on Mary’s behalf for a 2 bedroom home so she had the room for her son to live with her in the future, when custody arrangements had been sorted.

Mary was also supported through our Emergency Relief program, she received vouchers for food when her son was transitioning between Mary’s home and his grandmother’s place. As Mary’s son was not staying with her full-time Mary could not access parenting payments, so she needed the extra support to be able to provide for her son.

Mary was also provided an Indigo Junction “starter kit” which included the basic homewares she needed to set up her home.

The Housing Support Worker encouraged Mary to connect with the Women’s Legal Service who assisted Mary regain full-time care of her son. This was a major achievement for Mary. To continue to foster and build on the relationship between Mary and her son, the Housing Support Worker linked Mary with parenting support, medical and counselling resources as well as the local school.

As Mary’s confidence grew she was encouraged to attend Indigo Junction’s Lit Up literacy lessons. These lessons gave her the confidence to enrol in a Business Studies course at TAFE.

Mary has turned her life around! She is on track with her recovery and her relationship with her son is blossoming. She has finished a Certificate II in Business Studies and has just been successful in obtaining her driver’s licence. To top it off Mary has been offered employment. Mary is excited about her future and is enjoying the freedom of living independently and building a strong, positive relationship with her son.